Bernie Watch: The Dems are Nervous

“Bernie Watch” is my new blog series looking at developments related to the possible presidential run of independent United States Senator Bernie Sander of Vermont.

U. S. Senator Bernie Sanders recently discussed a possible run with John Nichols of The Nation. One of the questions that looms large is whether Sanders will run as an independent or as a Democrat. He has been an elected independent as the Mayor of Burlington, as a member of the U.S. House, and as a member of the U.S. Senate. However, he has caucused with the Democrats while a member of Congress.

I am firmly in the corner of those hoping that Sanders DOES NOT run as a Democrat. I assume this means he would run as an independent, but he could possibly also run as a Green. While I am a member of the Green Party, I am not sure what the rumblings are amongst Greens about this.

I will outline more fully my argument for Sanders not running as a Democrat tomorrow.

Credo Mobile is a cell phone carrier which markets itself as the progressive alternative to the big cell phone companies. It claims to support only progressive causes, most of which are mainstream causes closely aligned with the Democratic Party.

The Credo petition is a sign that some liberals and Democrats are nervous about a possible independent run by Sanders. Some still have PTSD from Florida in 2000. Others are worried about a strong and established leftist voice that they cannot control. By getting Sanders to run as a Democrat, they will get him on their home turf.

Comments

The “rumblings” among the Greens are of two distinct varieties. One camp wants to draft/urge Sanders to run as a Green, believing it would be good for building the party. The other camp is opposed to carpetbagging/”celebrity” candidates and prefers candidates who have truly paid their dues and gotten their hands dirty already building the party. Many Greens are angry that Sanders has never really acknowledged the GP’s existence; he’s said repeatedly there’s no viable third party in American politics.

It should be noted that Sanders appears to really fear and detest mass political action, preferring elite-style governance and backroom deals with the Democrats, with whom he caucuses. He didn’t support Occupy. He’s also had anti-war demonstrators arrested outside of his Vermont office.

Was “rumblings” too negative? I did not mean it to be negative at all. Yeah, I would agree that he is not committed to third parties at all. I also do not think he would seriously consider going the Green route.

Also, he is clearly much more establishment (as establishment goes) than somebody like Jill Stein.